Angle cock



Dec. 29, 1936. l.. A. sAFFoRD 2,065,750

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(Ittorne i Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANGLE COCK tion of New Jersey Application April 17, 1936, Serial No. 74,1979

3 Claims.

This invention relates to angle cocks employed in fluid pressure brake systems for railway trains and particularly to a handle therefor designed to minimize unauthorized manipulation thereof.

It sometimes happens that unauthorized persons close one or more of the angle cocks in a train, thus isolating a car, or cars, from the rest of the train. Brake pipe pressure is gradually reduced through leakage, and ultimately results in a brake application. Many wrecks have been caused by such improper closing of angle cocks.

Such surreptitious actuation of the angle cock is commonly effected by tramps while the train is in motion, for the purpose of stopping the train, and as this cannot be accomplished by hand operation without assuming considerable risk of personal injury, the usual procedure is to reach down and engage the cock handle with the foot, lift it and swing it to the desired position.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cock handle which, before it can be shifted must have imparted to it certain preliminary movements difcult, if not impossible, to effect except with the hand,

Other advantages of the construction here presented will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l is a plan view of an angle cock including a handle constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the handle largely in section.

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of a portion of the handle, and,

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the head which cooperates with the handle toI effect the desired latching.

In the drawing there is illustrated an angle cock of a well known form which is standard, and therefore needs no detailed description. It is generally indicated by the numeral 5 applied to its body, and the numeral 6 applied to the stem of the usual rotary plug. I and 8 indicate the usual locking lugs which cooperate with lugs on the valve handle to prevent accidental rotation of the valve plug.

Mounted upon the valve plug stem 6 is a head 9. It has an arm II which extends forward and terminates in a nose I2 having an arcuate face I3 and a pendant finger piece I4 which engages the lug 1 o f the cock body, when the cock is fully open, and engages the lug 8 when the cock is fully closed.

iOn the two sides of the head 9 are formed lugs I5 for a purpose to be described. A bifurcated arm I6 extends rearwardly. vA slot Il in 5 the arm II receives the positioning rib I8 on the valve plug stem. Holes I9 receives a pin 2i which engages the stem 6 and locks the head 9 in position upon the stem.

A handle 25 is formed with a ring-like yoke 10 26, which, when the handle is in position, embraces the head 9. It has a notch 21 in its rear under face, and a pivot pin 28 passes through the walls thereof and across the notch. This pin is received and confined by the bifurcated 15 arm I6 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Bosses 3l are formed on the yoke. Each has a forwardly and downwardly extending face 32 which terminates in a shoulder 33. Their under faces rest upon the top of the cock body and support and space the handle therefrom. A pin 34 retains a flat bow spring 35 in a pocket 36 formed in the handle, and reacts between it and the arcuate face I3 of the head 9 to move the 25 handle forward i. e. to the left in the drawing. This motion brings the pin 28 well within the bifurcation of arm I6 and causes the bosses 3l to enter into wedging engagement with lugs I5 (see particularly Figs. 1 and 2). 30

It is to be noted that pivot pin 28 substantially coincides with the axis of the arcuate face I3 of nose I2. The stress upon spring 35 is therefore constant throughout its path of travel, as it is raised or lowered, and a smooth opera- 35 tion is secured.

Lugs 3l and 38 depend from the lower face of yoke 26. Lug 38 engages lug 8 in the open position of the cock, and lug 3l engages lug 'I in closed position and in each instance prevents shifting of the cock handle.

When it is desired to shift the cock between open and closed positions, it is necessary first to grasp the handle 25 and move it bodily in a direction transverse to the axis of the cock plug, that is to the right as viewed in the drawing. This motion is opposed by the spring 35. The pivot pin 28 will be shifted toward the outer end of the bifurcation and the bosses 32 will be shifted from beneath the overlying locking lugs I5.

The handle may now be lifted or rocked about its pivot pin 28 until the shoulders 33 engage the lugs I5. At this time the locking lug 31 or 38 will be clear of the locking lug 'I or 8 as a handle hingedly connected with said rotary member and having locking lugs which in one position of the handle engage the lugs ongsaid body and in another position of the handle clear said lugs to permit rotation; secondary.

locking means for holding said handle inr the lug engaging position, said secondary locking .means comprising bosses carried bysaidfhandle and lugs associated with said rotary membensaid t bosses and lugs being released from locking en"-v gagement byr bodily motion of said-handle in a direction transverse to theaxis of said rotary member; and yieldingmeans resisting the last named motion of the handle.

2. The combination of a cock body having a rotary member and a handle hingedly associated with said rotary member; primary locking means for said handle, effective in one position of said handle, and released in another position of said handle; a secondary locking means to prevent release of said primary locking means, said secondary locking means being released b y bodily motion of said handle in a direction transverse to the axis of said rotary member; and yielding means resisting the last namedmotion of the y handle.

"3. The combination of a cock comprising a body having locking lugs and a rotary member; a handle hingedly connected with said rotary member and having locking lugs which in one position of the handle engage the lugs on said body to prevent rotation of said handle, and in another position of the handle clear said lugs to permit rotation; locking means releasable by bodto the axis of saidrotary member, for holding the handle in the lug engaging position; and yielding means resisting the last named motion of the handle.

' ily motion of the handle in a direction transverse 20 LEWIS A. SAFFORD. 25 

